Liberia

Activities

The West African Ebola outbreak of 2014–2015 took a severe toll on the Liberian health system, which was already fragile and suffering from inadequate medical infrastructures.

Over 4,800 deaths were reported, including those of 184 healthcare professionals. Although health services are being progressively restored, important gaps persist, notably in under-funded areas such as specialised paediatric care and mental health.

In 2015, the Bardnesville Junction Hospital (BJH) was set up in Monrovia, the Liberian capital and the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak. BJH provided specialised and emergency paediatric care, neonatology services, management of complicated severe malnutrition, onsite training and an Ebola survivor clinic. The clinic offered medical assistance, including mental health. Further attention was given to strict infection prevention and control measures to enable the continuity of healthcare services in the context of potential Ebola outbreaks.

In September 2016, the Liberia Board of Nursery and Midwifery validated MSF’s hospital as a site for clinical skills training. The first group of nursing students completed their practical training in December.

During the year 2016, 8,200 emergency consultations were carried out and nearly 4,500 patients were admitted to BJH. MSF’s survivor clinic provided care to approximately 600 patients, and conducted an average of 240 consultations per month. In December, MSF’s patients were transferred to three Ministry of Health centres in Monrovia and the survivor clinic closed.